


The Parting Gift

by orchis



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 10:11:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3116234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orchis/pseuds/orchis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Right before Thorin's Company departs to reclaim Erebor, Fíli has something to say to Gimli.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Parting Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep in mind that Gimli doesn't exactly return Fíli's affections. Also, many, many thanks to Ken and Flamebyrd who beta-read this piece. Any remaining mistakes are definitely my fault!

Gimli liked beginnings, not endings. Goodbyes weren't his thing. And yet, here he was, along with several dozen other Dwarves, half of them related to him, saying goodbye to Thorin Oakenshield and his Company of Dwarves. He couldn't quite disguise his worry and uneasiness when saying goodbye to his uncle, and especially to his father. Gimli was still a little upset that he had not been allowed to join them on the quest.

Apparently, Thorin Oakenshield needed someone else to break their unlucky number – someone that the wizard, Gandalf, was going to find for them. And, of course, there was the fact that Gimli was under seventy and Thorin blatantly refused to take anyone that young with him.

Thorin's sister's sons had a different fate. Gimli had spent a good part of last night in a tavern with them, arms around each other's shoulders, drinking, singing, saying goodbye. They had many friends and were greatly loved. Gimli was just a distant cousin, but they had played together as children — grown together even. He cared for them deeply; he was worried about them too.

Gimli spied Fíli and Kíli nearby, among the crowd. They were saying goodbye to the lady Dís. Fíli hugged his mother, and his eyes locked with Gimli's over her shoulder. Embarrassed, Gimli looked away, not wanting to seem like he was staring. It was an intimate moment. Although most families had likely already said their goodbyes in the privacy of their own homes, this was their last goodbye, and it was still a vulnerable moment for all the people gathered.

He turned his attention to his own parents instead. Gimli's mother seemed a bit sad, face reddened with unshed tears, but Glóin was hugging her tight, and whispering something to her ear that made her snort and giggle. Gimli smiled to himself. It was nice to see that his parents were truly happy, even after so many decades together. After all, not all Dwarves married. They were two of the lucky ones.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to find Fíli next to him.

"Hello!" Gimli said, smiling, and patted Fíli's shoulder in a friendly manner. "All set?"

The prince didn't return his smile, however. "Almost. Could I speak to you for a moment?" he replied. He fiddled nervously with one of his braids, and averted his gaze.

"Of course," said Gimli. "Though I'm not sure we'll get much privacy here..." he added, looking around. Truly, nobody was paying attention to them, but if someone decided to eavesdrop, it would be quite easy.

"That's... that's all right, I suppose," replied Fíli.

"Well, I'm listening," added Gimli, the smile never leaving his lips. He thought briefly of the lady Dís. Perhaps Fíli hoped Gimli would keep her company while they were away. After all, her closest family were going away.

Fíli hesitated for a second. "I just wanted you to know, before I left," he said, lowering his voice.

Gimli had to get slightly closer to hear. "Yes?"

He dug out a small wooden box out of somewhere among his furs, and offered it to Gimli. "I wanted to give you this," he said.

Gimli frowned, and took it.

"Thank you," he muttered. He opened it, and gasped. It was a set of hair beds, made of copper, with a delicate design of stars. This was no ordinary gift. The craftsmanship was superb, it must have taken hours to make.

"I wanted to give them to you last night," said Fíli, "but then there was never a moment I could catch you alone, and then we were all very drunk, and I didn't want you to think..." Gimli looked up at him, quite sure that his eyes were betraying his surprise. "I didn't want you to think that I did not mean this, and that my purpose was only such because of the ale."

Gimli had to remind himself to breathe. There was no mistaking Fíli's intentions now. The gift was bold and blunt.

"Why now?" Gimli asked, unsure of what to say.

"I know we're young," said Fíli, "but... I might not return from this journey, and I wanted you to know that I've no doubt in my heart that you're my One."

It was not the first time Gimli had received a declaration of undying love. He had the fiery red hair that many Dwarves admired, and quite a fine beard for his age; his features and his body were also pleasant to the eye, he'd been told. He was not unaccustomed to people offering courting gifts, nor to people declaring him their One with the first gift. However, this was different. This was Fíli, son of Dís, daughter of Thráin. He was going to be king one day. And most importantly, he was Gimli's dear childhood friend.

"And if I return," added Fíli, "I want to... I want to know if I could return to you. Would you do me the honour of accepting this courting gift?"

Gimli could hear the beating of his own heart, and felt his blood rushing to his cheeks. He couldn't help smiling. He'd never felt so flattered in his life. To be quite honest, he had never thought of Fíli like that before; he was, of course, a very handsome Dwarf, and one with whom Gimli got along very well. Still, were those strong enough reasons to accept a courting gift? Gimli wasn't sure. He did not want to outright reject Fíli, but accepting this gift meant the beginning of something.

He took a deep breath and willed his pulse to steady. This was just the first courting gift, not a betrothal gift. There was no law forbidding him from changing his mind later.

"I do," he muttered, and lowered his eyes. "I'm honoured to accept your courting gift."

Fíli's smile could rival the sun in brightness. He reached out and touched the tips of his fingers to the back of Gimli's hand which was holding the box. Gimli's face felt on fire. When had Fíli became so daring? Dwarves did not show much affection in public. Perhaps the atmosphere of this goodbye, with all the hugging between kin and kith, was getting to his head.

"I don't suppose I could get a kiss, for good luck?" Fíli asked, and smiled at him. It was the same charming smile that had many Dwarves sighing for his golden braids, but Gimli's heart didn't skip a beat, and there were no butterflies in his stomach.

Still, how can you deny a kiss to a Dwarf heading out on an impossible quest?

"You could," he replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He barely remembered to close his eyes before Fíli leaned in and pressed their mouths together for the shortest moment. For all his popularity, Gimli had never kissed anyone before. He pondered telling Fíli that, for a moment, but decided against it.

When Fíli pulled away, he was still smiling, his eyes glinting with hope and affection. "I have to go now," he said. "But I will be back. Don't go accepting anyone else's gifts!"

Gimli raised his eyebrows. "Have you got reason to believe my loyalty is frail?" he asked, almost indignant.

Fíli shook his head. "I don't doubt your loyalty, but I know your admirers are many!"

Gimli shrugged. "More are the perils of the road. Be careful," he said, and he meant it. He wanted Fíli to come back. He wanted all of them to come back.

"Don't worry," said Fíli, "I'll return. This can't be the last time I see your beard."

Gimli nodded and watched Fíli turn around and walk away to join Glóin and the rest of the company. He felt, more than heard, his mother coming to stand beside him.

"What was that about?" she asked, as the company walked down the road and begin to appear smaller and smaller with every footstep.

"He gave me a courting gift," said Gimli, with uneasiness in his heart.

"Did he? I did not know you liked him," she said. "Well, it's not common to do that in front of so many people. He's a bold lad, I'll give him that."

Gimli chuckled. "Perhaps he wanted to make sure everyone knows we're courting," he said.

"Of course. He wouldn't have kissed you otherwise. Young people, have you no shame!" she added, playfully, but Gimli did not respond to her mirth. She grabbed his arm, leaned onto his shoulder. "Do not despair, my treasure. I'm sure he'll come back. And your father, and your uncle too."

Gimli sighed.

"I don't know if I did the right thing, mother," he muttered. "I'm terribly flattered. But I'm not sure my heart will choose him."

"Nonsense. He's the best suitor to ever have offered you anything. I'm sure, with time, you will grow to love him, if you don't already, and are fooling your own heart out of fear of losing him to this quest."

Gimli remained silent. He was not the kind to fool himself out of cowardice, and his mother had to be aware of that. But he was old enough to know that sometimes parents see the world through the distorted lens of their own wishes, instead of what's truly before their eyes. He put the beads away in his tunic pocket, and he could almost feel their weight.

Far away, Thorin's Company was now but a dot in the scenery, getting smaller and smaller by the second.


End file.
